The Edge of Reason and Beyond
by darkangel333
Summary: Things happen that people in Middle Earth keep hidden...what happens when Elves, dwarves, men, and spies stalk the Fellowship? Sauron's illegitimate kids? Twins? Ah!


"Ple-ease, can we go?" whined Faun Tharanduilion as she sat on the edge of her big brother's bed.

"Why, Faun? You don't even know anything about Imladris." Legolas said.

"He has a point, Faun." Said her twin, Fuin, from her position behind Legolas where she was braiding his blond hair.

"So! I bet you the peredihl twins are hot! And they're just our age, Fuin! Think of the _possibilities_…"

"I'm thinking of the look on Ada's face if he heard you say that, actually…" commented the younger twin dryly as she finished with Legolas' hair. "Done."

"Thanks, 'In. I don't know what I'll do without you two, actually."

"See? You should take us! It would be a great political opportunity!"

"Since when have _you_ been into politics, Faun?"

"Just now."

"I'm sure." Legolas said as he checked over his hair in his mirror. As his sisters continued to converse (read: argue), he looked at them in the mirror. Fuin was leaning casually back on his bead. Her waist-length gold hair was loose and spread out in a fan on his bed as it glistened in the lamplight, her half-closed green eyes shimmering. Her skin was much paler than Fuin's or his own.

Faun, on the other hand, was slightly tan. Her hair was in a tight braid that fell to mid-back, but when loose it was the same length as Fuin's. Her green eyes were alive and sparkling.

However much they might look alike, their personalities could not have differed more.

Fuin was always calm, cool, and collected. She was learned and very often gave better advice than all of Tharanduil's councilors put together. She was sarcastic and sometimes extraordinarily pessimistic. Legolas also sometimes got the feeling that she was hiding something.

Faun, on the other hand…she tended to be very emotional and was often in disarray. She really didn't apply herself at all to her studies and was often frustrated when she wasn't allowed in the army. She was truthful, optimistic, and quite cheerful most of the time. Legolas knew that something was different about her, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

Fuin favored a sword. She, unlike most Mirkwood elves, had an almost unnatural talent for it. It was frightening at some times, and wonderful at others.

Faun went for arrows, like most Mirkwood elves. She was…unnervingly good, to say the least. She often beat Legolas in archery competitions, even though he was at least three thousand years her superior.

As they left his room, still arguing, the silence seemed to press down upon the prince.

"I really am going to miss them…" he murmured.

"Then why don't you bring them along?"

Legolas spun around.

"Ada! Didn't you have a meeting?"

"It was cancelled. Fortunately for me. I didn't want you to leave without a farewell from your own ada!"

Legolas laughed. "Yes, and also because you tend to fall asleep at those meetings."

"All true. But I'm serious, 'Las. Take them with you. Faun will be entertaining, and you are hopeless at braiding hair without Fuin. They might even come in useful with the peredihl twins. You never know."

"It _is_ only a council…" Legolas mused. "Alright."

"I'll go tell them while you finished getting packed."

"See you soon, Ada."

* * *

Tharanduil neared Fuin's rooms. He stopped in front of her door, seeing if she would know he was there. No one had ever managed to sneak up on Fuin yet, and he so dearly wanted to.

"Come in, Ada." She called.

"How do you always know?" he asked, entering what the entire staff called Fuin's "domain".

He glanced around. Her bed was neatly made. Her black silk sheets were made on the bed with military precision, covered by a dark green satin cloth. A black shoulder bag lay on the bed. Lamps were lit around the room, illuminating the black, green, and silver walls. The floor was swept and mopped. The room was altogether spotless.

"Call it an educated guess." Fuin replied, walking past him with some clothes draped over her arm. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you packing?"

She gave a small laugh. "As if you don't know."

"But I think my question would interpret as how do _you _know?"

"Ada…Legolas is – was – going to miss us, and you knew that. Also, Faun brought up a point on accident we are the same age as the peredihl twins. That opportunity alone is too much to pass up. And you want 'Las to look his best for the peredihl so I _had_ to go along _somehow_."

"Sometimes I think that you're smarter than I am, mor lass." (dark leaf)

"You? Think? Ha! Lasta lalaithamin." (Listen to my laughter)

"If you weren't my daughter…."

"I would be dead already, I know. Now go bug Faun!"

* * *

Faun tossed a large bag onto her messy blue-and-green bed. She began recklessly throwing clothes into it at top speed, not even bothering with the process of folding.

"Faun, I came to tell you to…pack…?"

Tharanduil slowed and stopped as he entered, looking at what the elder twin was doing.

"How do you-"

"Know? Fuin told me."

"But you've been in your rooms the entire time! She couldn't have!"

"Ada, if you still don't get that we can bend the laws of both reality and physics after living with us for six thousand years…"

"I do get it…but you both still puzzle me to no end…"

"Kwara sina ten'anim…" (Hold this for me…) Faun said absent-mindedly, handing him a tunic.

"My point is made…" Tharanduil said, rolling his eyes.

"Mani ume lle querna?" (What did you say?) she asked, looking around for something.

"What are you looking for?"

"My tunic…"

Tharanduil began laughing.

* * *

Legolas watched his sisters quarreling once again, this time over luggage. Faun had showed up with two casket-sized trunks full of clothes, her bow, and her arrows, while Fuin had showed up with a shoulder bag and her sword.

"Two trunks! We're staying for a week, maybe a week and a half, and I'm sure that they have people to wash clothes there!"

"There might be an important event to go to!"

"I packed a dress! At least I didn't pack several!"

"They're arguing again?" Tharanduil asked, coming up next to his son. Legolas nodded.

"Auta miquala yrch!" (Go kiss an orc) Faun yelled, storming off to get her horse.

"Dolle naa lost!" (Your head is empty) Fuin replied, stomping off to get her horse.

Tharanduil and Legolas burst out laughing.

* * *

Faun yawed and stretched, rising from her bedroll. She glanced to the side and saw Fuin's bed roll rolled up and her supplies on her horse…but no sight of her twin. She cast out her mind.

**_Fuin?_** She mind-spoke.

_**What is it, Faun? Is something wrong at camp?**_

_**No…I just woke up…no one else is. Where are you?**_

_**I'm in a tree near the river…I can see Imladris! Wow…it's pretty big. But there aren't that many trees…**_

_**Aiya!(oh)**_

_**Yeah…Ai! Ai! Tua amin, Faun!(Help me)**_

_**Mani! Mani naa ta! (What? What is it?)**_

_**I'm being attacked!**_

_**Fight, you fool!**_

_**Two against one! And they're awfully good!**_

_**I'm coming, Fuin! Hold them off!**_

_**My sword! Grab my sword!**_

_**Right!**_

Faun quickly broke the mind connection and raced to her horse. She swung her leg over the horses' bare back and sent a mind message to Fuin's horse, which held her sword. Quickly, she and both horses galloped to the stream.

As Faun neared the stream, sounds of fighting reached her ears. She rounded a corner…

Fuin was in the middle of two figures cloaked in black garb. They wore helmets, so they were impossible to identify.

Fuin's hair was tied up in a tight mid-back length braid. She wore loose black leggings and a tight silver and green tunic.

"Yah!" Fuin cried. She jumped into the air and bent her body so the her legs were even with her waist. Then she lashed out, all her force in that one leg, perfectly controlled, and brought her foot into contact with the man's helmet.

His head whacked hard against a tree and he slid to the bottom, clutching his head.

"Fuin, tira ten' rashwe!" (look out)she cried as the other man lunged. Fuin easily dodged.

"Heads up!" Faun cried, tossing her twin her sword.

"Diola le!"(Thank you!)

"Creosco!" (Welcome!)

The other man was up. Faun leaped off her horse, bow in hand. Not wanting to kill the man, she aimed for his collar. She hit it, and the force of the arrow going through the fabric of his jerkin yanked him back against the tree, where the arrow stuck.

Fuin, meanwhile, was involved in a battle with the other man. Her skills won out, however, and he was the first to make a mistake.

She had her sword at the open portion of his throat in the blink of an eye.

"Lle lava?"(Do you yield?) she asked.

"Lye lava."(We yield) Said the man pinned to the tree.

"Who are you?" asked Faun, moving toward the tree.

"We are Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Lord Elrond. And you?"

The girls looked at one another in horror. They had just fought the sons of their host!

"We…and the princesses of Mirkwood…Faun and Fuin."

"Aw, man!" came from the one in front of Fuin. She leaned forward and yanked off his helmet.

A tumble of silky black hair cascaded down his shoulders. His blue electric eyes looked at her laughingly.

"Creoso a'baramim, mellons."(Welcome to my home, friends.) He said, grinning.

Relieved laughter rang throughout the clearing as Faun yanked the arrow out of the other twin's collar.

"Which of you is which?" asked Faun, looking from one to the other.

"I'm Elladan," said the one that Faun had pinned, "and he's Elrohir."

"Amin hiraethea…" Fuin said, blushing. (I'm sorry…)

"Seasamin." Elrohir replied, still grinning. (My pleasure.)

Suddenly, they heard a yell. "Where have you two been!"

The girls shared a look.

"Legolas…"

"Who?" asked Elrohir, raising an eyebrow.

"Our over-protective older brother…" Faun replied, trying to work the arrow out of Elladan's collar.

Legolas and the rest of the Mirkwood party galloped into the clearing. Legolas sprang from his horse. He looked around and hit his forehead with his hand, moaning.

"Why, why, _why_, for the Valar's sake, did you attack the sons of Elrond!"

"They started it!" Faun said, pointing one hand at Elrohir and the other at Elladan.

"I'm sure, Faun."

"Really, 'Las. We're serious!" Fuin said, pulling her sword away from Elrohir's neck and sheathing it.

Legolas sighed again. "Come on…we need to get to Imladris…_now_…"

"Fine, be that way." Said Faun huffily, finally yanking the arrow out of Elladan's collar.

* * *

Lord Elrond of Imladris sat at his desk, looking over his papers. He was sure that there had only been _one_ stack when he left for lunch, and now there were three! Erestor had said that no one had gone into his office while he was gone, too.

He sighed. _The last thing that I need right now is a desk that breeds papers…_

Elladan and Elrohir suddenly burst in through his study door. With no greeting whatsoever, Elladan draped himself unceremoniously onto the couch, while Elrohir collapsed into an armchair.

"What happened now?" Elrond asked, his gaze alternating from one son to the other.

"Well, the party from Mirkwood is here." Elladan said.

"Which doesn't explain why your collar is ripped." Elrond pointed out, pointing at the ripped hole in Elladan's collar.

"I was getting there! Anyway…'Ro and I were on patrol and we saw this dark, suspicious looking figure climbing a tree. So we decided to investigate, and we attacked…"

Elrond groaned. "Don't tell me you attacked the prince!"

"We didn't. We attacked one of the princesses."

"**_WHAT?"_**

"Calm down, Ada. She tossed her a sword, and she fought with Elladan, and the other sister pinned me to a tree with an arrow.

"Then I yielded, and-"

"You yielded to a girl! A princess!"

"They were good, Ada! They could fight! And the other one had her sword at 'Ro's throat!"

"Wait, wait, wait…let me get this straight…a Mirkwood female fought an Imladrian male to a draw in a duel with swords!"

"It was creepy, I know!" Elrohir piped up.

"Where are they now?"

"At the front gate…"

"What?"


End file.
